Kathmandu Trip Report

[PotHead]

January 1-12, 2013

I had a direct Etihad, 4 hour flight from Abu Dhabi to Kathmandu which was uneventful. Getting through immigration was quick since I had downloaded and completed the immigration form prior to my departure. I picked up my luggage and at the exit was the Hotel Courtyard driver waiting to pick me up. A 30 minute ride on some of the poorest quality city streets I have even been on brought us to Hotel Courtyard in the Thamel area of Kathmandu. 15 minutes after I checked in, I had purchased 11 grams of Nepali Temple Ball. I left the hotel, and was approached by a 20 year old street dealer. He wanted $180 for 11 grams (a tola) but we ended up at $50. Even at that, I probably paid double to what I might have been able to get it with hard negotiations. However, the people of Nepal are poor where their annual income is around $200. So, I did not mind paying a bit more.

The hash was dark and pliable. It was a bit sweet and pungent. It gave a really nice and strong high. Later in the trip, I bought some Indian hash. It also was nice, but I preferred the Nepali Temple Ball. The Indian Hash cost $20 for a tola.

Kathmandu is a very polluted and dirty city. Thank God, I don't understand microbiology! There is litter everywhere. It has some of the worst air quality in Asia. The air is thick with emissions from cars, trucks, buses, scooters and motorcycles. Most houses do not have central heating so people wake up and huddle around fires in the morning. Therefore, the air is also smokey. However, the people are kind, helpful and happy. The food was fantastic; I bought tasty curry dishes for $2. The Everest Beer was good too. I only drank bottled water which was everywhere.

I visited the major tourist sites (e.g. Durbar Square, Bhaktapur, Pashupatinath, Bouddhanath Stupa, Swayambhunath Temple, Freak Street, Rum Doodle, Chitwan National Park, etc.) I rode elephants and I spotted rhinos and crocodiles. I observed religious ceremonies and cremations. I chatted with Sadhus. I rode rickshaws through the foggy streets of Kathmandu. I did all this under the influence of hash. It was a fun time and I will return next November.

[Nimrod]

Sounds like a hashy adventure.

I like it!

Thanks for sharing.

[billyriz]

nice read

[treetop]

January 1-12, 2013

I had a direct Etihad, 4 hour flight from Abu Dhabi to Kathmandu which was uneventful. Getting through immigration was quick since I had downloaded and completed the immigration form prior to my departure. I picked up my luggage and at the exit was the Hotel Courtyard driver waiting to pick me up. A 30 minute ride on some of the poorest quality city streets I have even been on brought us to Hotel Courtyard in the Thamel area of Kathmandu. 15 minutes after I checked in, I had purchased 11 grams of Nepali Temple Ball. I left the hotel, and was approached by a 20 year old street dealer. He wanted $180 for 11 grams (a tola) but we ended up at $50. Even at that, I probably paid double to what I might have been able to get it with hard negotiations. However, the people of Nepal are poor where their annual income is around $200. So, I did not mind paying a bit more.

The hash was dark and pliable. It was a bit sweet and pungent. It gave a really nice and strong high. Later in the trip, I bought some Indian hash. It also was nice, but I preferred the Nepali Temple Ball. The Indian Hash cost $20 for a tola.

Kathmandu is a very polluted and dirty city. Thank God, I don't understand microbiology! There is litter everywhere. It has some of the worst air quality in Asia. The air is thick with emissions from cars, trucks, buses, scooters and motorcycles. Most houses do not have central heating so people wake up and huddle around fires in the morning. Therefore, the air is also smokey. However, the people are kind, helpful and happy. The food was fantastic; I bought tasty curry dishes for $2. The Everest Beer was good too. I only drank bottled water which was everywhere.

I visited the major tourist sites (e.g. Durbar Square, Bhaktapur, Pashupatinath, Bouddhanath Stupa, Swayambhunath Temple, Freak Street, Rum Doodle, Chitwan National Park, etc.) I rode elephants and spotted rhinos and crocodiles. I observed religious ceremonies and cremations. I chatted with Sadhus. I rode rickshaws through the foggy streets of Kathmandu. I did all this under the influence of hash. It was a fun time and I will return next November. Here are some photos:

http://razzi.me/photos/939949-hash-day-6

Great read. Thanks for posting. Where did you go to consume your hash? Always hotel or they have other places?

[Roobarb]

Sounds amazing. Great pictures. Thanks for sharing!

[PotHead]

Great read. Thanks for posting. Where did you go to consume your hash? Always hotel or they have other places?

I always smoked in the hotel. There were police and military everywhere (remember the Maoist insurgency a few years ago!). I did not want to attract any attention smoking a pipe. I don't smoke tobacco so a mixed cigarette was out of the question. We will return this November for more of the same but not until a summer trip to Amsterdam.

[PotHead]

Hi

I spent 2 weeks in Nepal in October 2013. Again, I easily scored some very good quality black hash in Thamel (Kathmandu). This time, I got about 10-11 grams for $40. It had a very nice, strong pungent smell to it. It was also very sticky. Later in my trip, I bought some pollen from the Jira region. Very nice but not as good as the black temple ball. The price was also steep: $40 for 5 grams.

The highlight of this trip was being blessed by the living goddess in the city of Patan. She becomes a goddess when she is around 6 years and then leaves the position when she reaches puberty. Then they look for a new living goddess. These Kumari children have a fascinating yet boring life. Elephant safaris were good too. All of this was experienced after smoking nice hash. I look forward to getting back next summer during the monsoon.

[redeyezman]

Good read +1

Some theme music perhaps?
A little something for the expats? Enjoy

[PotHead]

I returned to Kathmandu for 4 nights this May 2014. Again, I easily scored some black hash from a street vendor. However, it took a little bit more effort on my behalf: no one was approaching me, so I approached a rickshaw driver. He made a phone call and then we drove to a side street and waited for the delivery. In 5 minutes I have 11 grams (1 tola) of black hash for $55. I don't barter for this since Nepal is a poor country and I would rather the rickshaw driver get a bonus.

The hash had a petroleum taste when I lit the first bowl. I inspected the hash and unrolled it a bit. I found that it had once been a thin slab of hash that had been rolled into a small cigar shaped chunk of hash. Unfortunately, some of the slab had a thin plastic wrap still attached. I removed the bits of plastic wrap and lit another bowl. That's better! A nice taste and a nice stone.

The rest of the trip saw me flying around Kathmandu in a rickshaw, stopping for the occasional beer or expresso. I ate lots of flavourful Indian and Nepali curries. I also went to visit a couple of Sadhus that I know. Both are doing well but the older guy (86 years) is slowing down. I always give some money to these holy men to help them out with medicine or other things they need to buy such as fire wood for cooking. I gave the other Sadhu a few grams of hash.




What fascinated me this trip was watching the kids sift through the mud looking for gold. At Pashupatinath, there are daily cremations. The ashes and remains are then swept off the funeral pyre and into the Bagmati River. Sometimes a golden tooth may be found which is a treasure to these poor kids.



I also spent an hour with some monks during their morning prayers. The prayers have a trance like quality. The chanting, drumming and music was pretty cool.




I hope to get back either next fall or winter.

[Nimrod]

Thanks for sharing your Asian adventures.

Goddamned plastic wrap...futzed with that shit on hash bullets from de Graal.

[the stoned ginnepig]

Cool report! Bring he back to my military time from subic to maliia! But no dope only beer 3wks made 1 1/2 wks need to go back

[the stoned ginnepig]

Cool report! Bring he back to my military time from subic to maliia! But no dope only beer 3wks made 1 1/2 wks need to go back

[the stoned ginnepig]

Cool report! Bring he back to my military time from subic to maliia! But no dope only beer 3wks made 1 1/2 wks need to go back